How Five by Five Continues to Strike Gold with EcoVadis

Since 2007, EcoVadis has been helping businesses to deliver on their sustainability goals via its ratings system. Scoring highly on an EcoVadis assessment is no mean feat; the organisation drills down into a company’s emissions, its risk and compliance policies, its ethics, and even labour and human rights policies. The process is thorough, with companies obliged to provide proof of every claim it makes to EcoVadis’ assessors. 

Which makes it all the more impressive that independent creative agency Five by Five has been awarded its third Gold medal from EcoVadis in as many years, this time with the agency placing within the top 3% of all companies rated (not just those in the ad industry). 

“Every time we get a good result it’s a positive, and we’re delighted to see improvements”, reflects the group’s HR director Katie Whittam-Hayes. “We don’t have a team of dedicated people working on this - it’s a responsibility for the whole business, and the award is a reflection on the progress the whole agency has been making”. 

Crucially, as Katie is keen to underline, the EcoVadis assessment goes beyond sustainability and reflects on a holistic array of policies. For example, Five by Five picked up an especially high score on the ‘ethics’ component of the report (“outstanding”, in the assessment’s own words). “‘Ethics’ in this case refers to our integrity - both within Five by Five and who we choose to collaborate with across the supply chain”, notes Katie. “There’s also a focus on our people policies - which we’re especially proud of having introduced initiatives like Work from Anywhere, Life Loans, and Shared Parental Leave for staff”. 

The EcoVadis ratings system weaves those points together with the agency’s climate record - something which the Five by Five team is proud to emphasise. Between the years of 2019 and 2022, the agency has reduced its CO2 emissions by 40%. “It’s great to have it affirmed that our standards haven’t slipped, but we also have some ideas about how to improve our sustainability impact in the future”, says Katie. “For example, we want to focus on how we engage clients in the conversation which can help drive our environmental impact down further. There’s a lot more that can be done across the industry, which is an opportunity to use our collective force for good in the world”. 

Taken separately, topics such as ethics, labour policies, and sustainability can feel disparate and unrelated. What’s been helpful for Five by Five about the EcoVadis process has been the ability to see all of this as part of the same challenge - and unite the organisation in striving for improvements in all categories with the purpose of doing good in the world. “It’s a positive thing for us in so many ways”, explains Katie, “not least in our recruitment process. Everyone is more confident and engaged knowing that they’re working for a company that’s earned trust by doing the right things”. 

Whilst the process for achieving high scores with EcoVadis is a lengthy one (“it’s an all-year thing”, in Katie’s words), there’s no better time than the present to get the ball rolling. 

“My best advice to any company looking to engage with the EcoVadis system is simply to get started”, she says. “Our approach has been to divide and conquer, splitting the responsibilities across a few teams. That’s made it more manageable, and helped us to maintain a consistent focus”. 

In order to nail the high score for a third consecutive year, Five by Five has made a habit out of regular communication with organisations such as AdGreen, Ad Net Zero, SME Climate Hub, and The Climate Pledge. It all adds up to keep the agency on track for its targets in terms of sustainability. 

But even beyond that, the focus has been firmly placed on making Five by Five a positive environment in which to work, and an agency which leaves a lasting and meaningful impact on the industry around it. “Our purpose is to make a positive impact on business and society, and a big part of this is our commitment to sustainability”, says George Roberts, the agency’s marketing and new business director. “This latest EcoVadis Gold medal is another positive step towards our broader goal of being fully Net Zero by 2030”. 

As the industry continues to wrestle with questions around sustainability and best practices, there’s a reassuring comfort and credibility that comes with the EcoVadis gold certification. And, given the agency’s commitment to continue improving its score in future years, a brighter vision for the industry’s future looks a lot like Five by Five.